Tongue brush device

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a tongue brush device comprising: a replaceable head assembly comprising: a brush head assembly at a proximal end of and substantially transverse to an upper housing, the brush head assembly comprising a drum roller with an application area having a predetermined surface profile effective to clean a tongue surface, the drum roller configured to be rotated about an axis using a drive source, and the upper housing comprising: a guard piece housing the brush head assembly, and a tongue guard oriented below the brush head assembly effective to prevent the drum roller from driving a tongue of a user between the guard piece housing and the brush head assembly when in use; and a base assembly configured to detachably couple with a distal end of the head assembly, the base assembly comprising a lower housing containing at least a portion of the drive source.

RELATED APPLICATION

Under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), Applicant claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/194,441 filed on May 28, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

It is intended that the referenced application may be applicable to the concepts and embodiments disclosed herein, even if such concepts and embodiments are disclosed in the referenced application with different limitations and configurations and described using different examples and terminology.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to devices for improving oral hygiene and, in particular, a tongue brush intended to assist in cleaning the surface of the human tongue.

BACKGROUND

The tongue, and particularly, the top or dorsum surface thereof is generally rough and covered with papillae at least on the anterior or front two-thirds of the area of the tongue. The posterior third of the overall area is somewhat smoother and covered with numerous muciparous glands and lymph follicles.

The papillae which are present in a number of varieties, generally constitute a projection of the mucus membrane and are shaped somewhat like truncated cones with the small end extending downwardly toward the mucus membrane or body of the tongue itself. The follicles are rounded eminences, the center of which is perforated by a minute orifice which leads to a funnel shaped cavity or recess. Additionally, taste buds are scattered over the mucus membrane of the tongue with the tongue being the principal organ of the sense of taste.

The mucous membrane covering the anterior ⅔'s (body) and apex (tip) of the tongue is rough, because it is thickly covered with papillae. The posterior ⅓ (pharyngeal) has an uneven or nodular surface due to a number of rounded elevations or nodules. On both sides or margins are a number of vertical folds, but few, if any papillae. Taste buds are found mostly on the tongue, and to a lesser extent, on the soft palate, pharynx, and epiglottis. At the posterior aspect of the body of the tongue are from 8 to 12 circumvallate papillae arranged in a V-shaped row. The greatest number of taste buds are located in the furrows or grooves which surround these papillae. A few taste buds can also be found on the fungiform and foliate papillae, located anteriorly to the circumvallate papillae. The majority of papillae on the body of the tongue are the filiform papillae, which provide friction for the handling of food. The presence of papillae, folds, and grooves on the dorsal surface of the tongue make it a prime location for the retention of debris.

In some situations, from a hygienic standpoint, is that food particles or residue become encrusted on the surface of the tongue and due to the configuration and construction of that surface, the papillae and follicles are natural collecting points for material of this type. This can cause difficulty with regard to unpleasant breath and also can cause sanitary difficulties since food particles trapped by the roughened surface of the tongue will deteriorate in the same manner as food particles between the teeth thereby giving rise to bacterial growth with the obvious attendant undesirable effects thereof.

A tongue brush device, to do its job properly, must not elicit the “gag reflex”. This reflex will preclude individuals from cleaning the tongue as far posteriorly as possible. The pharynx, soft palate, or posterior portion of the tongue can elicit gagging. The importance of this is that any tongue brush device must be thin enough so as not to trigger gagging by touching the pharynx or soft palate. Consequently, the area of the tongue we are most concerned with, the anterior ⅔'s, can be properly cleaned only by a device which comprises a brush, scraper, and is thin in design.

Thus, the conventional strategy is to use a toothbrush or standard tongue scraper. This often causes problems because the conventional strategies do not effectively remove debris from the bottom of all folds, grooves, etc. in the irregular surface of the tongue.

BRIEF OVERVIEW

This brief overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This brief overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Nor is this brief overview intended to be used to limit the claimed subject matter's scope.

The present disclosure provides a tongue brush device comprising: a replaceable head assembly comprising: a brush head assembly at a proximal end of and substantially transverse to an upper housing, the brush head assembly comprising a drum roller with an application area having a predetermined surface profile effective to clean a tongue surface, the drum roller configured to be rotated about an axis using a drive source, and the upper housing comprising: a guard piece housing the brush head assembly, and a tongue guard oriented below the brush head assembly effective to prevent the drum roller from driving a tongue of a user between the guard piece housing and the brush head assembly when in use; and a base assembly configured to detachably couple with a distal end of the head assembly, the base assembly comprising a lower housing containing at least a portion of the drive source.

The present disclosure further provides a replaceable brush head attachment for a tongue brush, comprising: an upper housing comprising: a gear system, a guard piece housing a brush head assembly, the brush head assembly being substantially transverse to the upper housing, and a tongue guard oriented below the brush head assembly effective to prevent a tongue of a user from entering a space between the guard piece housing and the brush head assembly; and a drive shaft coupled to the gear system and the brush head assembly, wherein the drive shaft is operable to effect movement of the brush head assembly.

The present disclosure further provides an electric, motorized tongue brush device, comprising: a replaceable top head assembly, comprising: an upper housing comprising: a gear system, a brush head assembly extending substantially transverse to the upper housing assembly, the brush head assembly comprising a drum roller and a first gear disposed at a proximal end of the brush head assembly, a guard piece at least partially surrounding the brush head assembly; and a tongue guard oriented below the brush head assembly effective to prevent disposing a tongue of a user between the guard piece housing and the brush head assembly; a friction drive shaft contained within the upper housing and coupled to the brush head assembly, wherein the gear system comprises a second gear and a third gear configured to couple the friction drive shaft to the first gear of the brush head assembly, wherein the friction drive shaft is operable to transmit motion to the brush head assembly; and a bottom assembly, comprising: a motor coupled to the friction drive shaft; and a handle on a surface of the bottom assembly.

The present disclosure further provides a novel tongue brush device intended to assist in cleaning the surface of the human tongue. For example, the present disclosure provides a tongue brush. The tongue brush device includes a replaceable top head assembly and a bottom assembly. The replaceable top head assembly includes a brush head assembly at a proximal end of the tongue brush which is substantially transverse to the upper housing. The upper housing includes a gear and drive shaft which are used to rotate a roller sub-assembly within the brush head.

The present disclosure further provides an electric, motorized tongue brush which includes a replaceable top head assembly and a bottom assembly. The replaceable top head assembly includes a brush head assembly at a proximal end of the tongue brush device which is substantially transverse to the upper housing. The upper housing includes a first gear at a proximal end of the upper housing and a second and third gear at the distal end of the upper housing.

The present disclosure further provides a portable, powered, hand-held tongue brush device. The tongue brush device includes a brush head configured to brush the tongue. The brush assembly is at a proximal end of the tongue brush device, which is substantially transverse to an upper housing of the tongue brush device. The brush head includes a drum roller having a plurality of bristles disposed thereon. The tongue brush device includes a means for moving the brush head such that the brush head moves against the surface of the tongue as the user holds the means for moving the brush head. The tongue brush device further includes a means for moving the brush head such that the brush head moves against the surface of the tongue as the user holds the means for moving the brush head. The means for moving is configured so as to enable a user to hold the tongue brush device and direct the brush head into the mouth of the user to facilitate a tongue cleaning procedure in the user's mouth.

Both the foregoing brief overview and the following detailed description provide examples and are explanatory only. Accordingly, the foregoing brief overview and the following detailed description should not be considered to be restrictive. Further, features or variations may be provided in addition to those set forth herein. For example, embodiments may be directed to various feature combinations and sub-combinations described in the detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure. The drawings contain representations of various trademarks and copyrights owned by the Applicant. In addition, the drawings may contain other marks owned by third parties and are being used for illustrative purposes only. All rights to various trademarks and copyrights represented herein, except those belonging to their respective owners, are vested in and the property of the Applicant. The Applicant retains and reserves all rights in its trademarks and copyrights included herein, and grants permission to reproduce the material only in connection with reproduction of the granted patent and for no other purpose.

Furthermore, the drawings may contain text or captions that may explain certain embodiments of the present disclosure. This text is included for illustrative, non-limiting, explanatory purposes of certain embodiments detailed in the present disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A illustrates a tongue brush device 100 in accordance with one embodiment consistent with the present disclosure;

FIG. 1B illustrates the tongue brush device 100 in accordance with one embodiment consistent with the present disclosure;

FIG. 1C illustrates the tongue brush device 100 in accordance with one embodiment consistent with the present disclosure;

FIG. 1D illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the tongue brush device 100 in accordance with one embodiment consistent with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A illustrates an exploded view of a replaceable head assembly 101;

FIG. 2B illustrates another view of the replaceable head assembly 101;

FIG. 2C illustrates another view of the replaceable head assembly 101;

FIG. 3A illustrates inner components of a bottom assembly 102;

FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded view of inner components of the bottom assembly 102;

FIG. 3C illustrates inner components of the bottom assembly 102;

FIG. 3D illustrates inner components of the bottom assembly 102;

FIG. 3E illustrates outer components of the bottom assembly 102;

FIG. 4 illustrates an electric power supply 130;

FIG. 5A illustrates a drum roller 105;

FIG. 5B illustrates an exploded view of the drum roller 105; and

FIG. 5C illustrates a side view of the drum roller 105.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art that the present disclosure has broad utility and application. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the disclosure and may further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosed features. Furthermore, any embodiment discussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be part of a best mode contemplated for carrying out the embodiments of the present disclosure. Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrative purposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations, modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosed by the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Accordingly, while embodiments are described herein in detail in relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present disclosure and are made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure. The detailed disclosure herein of one or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, to limit the scope of patent protection afforded in any claim of a patent issuing here from, which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof. It is not intended that the scope of patent protection be defined by reading into any claim a limitation found herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps of various processes or methods that are described herein are illustrative and not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, although steps of various processes or methods may be shown and described as being in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processes or methods are not limited to being carried out in any particular sequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps in such processes or methods generally may be carried out in various different sequences and orders while still falling within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of patent protection is to be defined by the issued claim(s) rather than the description set forth herein.

Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refers to that which an ordinary artisan would understand such term to mean based on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that the meaning of a term used herein—as understood by the ordinary artisan based on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from any particular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that the meaning of the term as understood by the ordinary artisan should prevail.

Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6, no claim element is intended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unless the explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in such claim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to apply in the interpretation of such claim element.

Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an” each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a plurality unless the contextual use dictates otherwise. When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one of the items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and” denotes “all of the items of the list.”

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While many embodiments of the disclosure may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the disclosure. Instead, the proper scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims. The present disclosure contains headers. It should be understood that these headers are used as references and are not to be construed as limiting upon the subjected matter disclosed under the header.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a device for cleaning or manipulating tongue tissue of a user. The device may comprise a replaceable head assembly detachably connected with a base assembly. In further aspects, a head assembly can comprise a brush head attachment with a housing and a drum roller having an application area, the application area including a surface profile and/or one or more contact portions configured to clean the tongue.

In further aspects, the brush head attachment may be detachably connected with a drive source capable of producing a mechanical force effective to rotate the drum roller for cleaning the tongue. The drive source and brush head attachment may be operatively positioned relative to one another such that the drive source and drum roller cooperate to clean the tongue. The device may include a control unit and/or a controller communicatively connected to the device and configured to control operation of the one or more device components, such as the drive source or motor. In some aspects, the control unit may be simple activating switch for turning the device of and on. In other aspects, the control unit, which may be a switch mounted to the base assembly or a wireless device, may be communicatively connected to the controller and configured to transmit instructions regarding operation of the device to the controller.

Consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure, the invention is described as including one or more replaceable head assemblies (which may also be referred to herein as “brush head attachments”). In further aspects, the head assemblies used in the devices need not be identical. For example, a user may have a device according to an embodiment of the invention with head assemblies having different surface profile on the application area depending on the desired tongue cleaning properties. To this end, a device may comprise one drive source and a plurality of interchangeable brush head attachments. In yet further aspects, the drive source is configured to produce a mechanical force upon activation. If the user's tongue is in contact with the application area of the drum roller, the user will feel the forces directly against the underlying tissue.

In various aspects, the present invention provides a base assembly configured for use in the disclosed devices, for example, to detachably connect or attach with a head assembly or brush head attachment. In one aspect, a base assembly of the present invention can comprise a central gear member having first and second opposed ends, a first gear connected to one end and a motor or other drive mechanism connected to the other end. The head assembly may be configured to be detachably connected with the first gear to allow the drive source to move the drum roller. In further aspects, the drive source may be configured to move or rotate the drum roller in a predefined manner while the application area of the drum roller is in contact with the tongue to thereby clean the tissue. In still further aspects, the drive source can comprise any desired means for producing mechanical motion or force effective to move or rotate the drum roller. In some aspects, the drive source may comprise at least one of: a motor, gear, belt, drive shaft, gear member, actuator, screw drive, worm screw, barrel screw, wheel and axle, cam, rod, gear, track, belt and pulley, chain, rack and pinion, or the like. In other aspects, drive source may include propulsion and/or drive mechanism including a belt, gears and/or gear motor for generating rotational linear motion. The drive mechanism may include a driving motor to spin one direction continuously to produce rotational motion using a circular gear system.

In further aspects, the drive mechanism may employ a plurality of gears in various configurations and arrangements. In some aspects, the drive mechanism may employ a lower gear/upper gear engagement and upper gear/drum roller engagement or first gear/second gear engagement and second gear/drum roller engagement. In other aspects, the drive mechanism may employ a lower gear/middle gear engagement, middle gear/upper gear engagement and upper gear/drum roller engagement or first gear/second gear engagement, second gear/third gear engagement, and third gear/drum roller engagement.

In various aspects, the device and drive system may comprise a slip-differential mechanism configured to help prevent tongue tissue damage when force above a predetermined threshold is applied to the tongue. In further aspects, the drive system may be configured to limit or eliminate power to the drum roller upon detecting or sensing force above a predetermined threshold. In further aspects, the drive system may be configured to temporarily disengage at least one gear to gear engagement upon detecting or sensing force above a predetermined threshold.

Housings used to construct the head assembly and base assembly may be in the shape of a three-dimensional polygon, such as a tubular or cylinder shape, and the housing walls may define an interior space or interior sections for containing various operating elements of the invention as described herein. Any other shape (as used herein, the term shape is used in the broad sense of three-dimensional works) may be employed, so long as the shape is structured so as to be able support the methods of using the invention as more fully disclosed below. In further aspects, the device may be comprised of any desired material, such as plastic, cast metal (e.g., aluminum), or the like. The device can be configured and constructed (e.g., using an angled housing relative to the mouth) to allow users to be able to position the device in the mouth as needed to effectively clean all areas of the tongue.

In various further aspects, contact portions of the brush head attachments may comprise raised surface portions of the application area and/or various protrusions, bristles, tips, or like elements disposed on the application area. In still further aspects, the application area of the drum roller may have a specific configuration, arrangement, pattern, and/or predetermined surface profile. For example, the application area may comprise contacting portions that can have a spacing to ensure equal pressure distribution between said contacting portion when applied to a subject's tongue. In some aspects, each of the raised portions and/or contacting surfaces may have a uniform shape and/or size. In other aspects, each of the raised portions may have a varying shape and/or sizes. In yet further aspects, the raised portions may have a semi-circular or concave shape. In even further aspects, the raised portions may have a sinusoidal shape or pattern. In still further aspects, the proximal ends of the raised portions (e.g., which contact the tissue of the subject) may be rounded or pointed. In still other aspects, the application area of the drum roller and/or brush head attachments can be configured or shaped for use in scraping the tongue. The application area may have a curved or blade shape contacting portion. However, the application area may be of any surface profile or skin contacting means that achieves the function of scraping the tongue tissue of the subject.

FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a tongue brush device 100 in accordance with one embodiment consistent with the present disclosure. Tongue brush device 100 comprises a replaceable top head assembly 101 configured to detachably couple with a bottom base assembly 102. In the embodiment shown, the replaceable top head assembly 101 includes a brush head assembly 103 at a proximal end of the assembled tongue brush device 100 which is substantially transverse to an upper housing 104. Within the upper housing 104 is contained a drive shaft 108. The drive shaft 108 may be disposed around and/or connected to the surface of the drum roller 105 via a plurality of gears, axles, shafts, and/or rotatable cylinders 112. The drive shaft 108 is operable to transmit power to the brush head assembly 103.

It is noted that the term “drum roller” may be used interchangeably with, and be embodied as, the terms “roller”, “spindle”, “cylinder”, “brush head assembly”, and/or “axle”.

The brush head assembly includes a drum roller 105 with a predetermined surface profile, such as, for example, a plurality of bristles 106 and/or one or more scraper portions 150, shown at least in FIGS. 5A-5C. The drum roller 105 is designed to roll across the surface of a human tongue. In some embodiments, when the drum roller 105 is in operation, the drum roller causes an indentation in the tongue surface thus presenting the tongue surface to the plurality of bristles 106 and/or the one or more scraper portions 150 at an angle rather than flat. The drum roller 105 may be rotatable about an axle or spindle 107, shown at least in FIG. 5B. The plurality of bristles 106 on the surface of the drum roller 105 may penetrate the small indentations of the tongue's surface and loosen the waste material present in the crevices therein. The one or more scraper portions 150 on the surface of the drum roller 105 may scrape, contact, and/or exfoliate the tongue (and/or tongue tissue) to remove stubborn and/or difficult to remove waste material present on the tongue's surface. Tongue brush device 100 is therefore an inexpensive and easy to manufacture tongue cleaner thereby capable of achieving desired hygienic results. In some embodiments, the one or more scraper portions 150 may be more rigid than the plurality of bristles 106. In some embodiments, the one or more scraper portions 150 may be made from any suitable material including, but not limited to, a rigid material and a semi-rigid material.

FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate at least a portion of tongue brush device 100 of FIG. 1 . Notably, FIGS. 2A-2C show the components of the replaceable top head assembly 101, particularly, the components of the brush head assembly 103.

FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate at least another portion of tongue brush device 100. FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate the inner components of the bottom assembly 102.

FIG. 3E illustrates the outer components of bottom assembly 102.

Turning now to FIGS. 2A-2C, the brush head assembly 103 may have a height that is substantially less than its width such that the configuration of the brush head assembly 103 helps to minimize the elicitation of the of a gag reflex when the tongue brush device 100 is used to clean a human tongue. In addition, the brush head assembly 103 includes a drum roller 105, a plurality of bristles 106, a spindle 107 which the drum roller 105 is rollable thereabout, and a guard piece 115 to protect the drum roller 105. In some embodiments, the brush head assembly 103 includes a shaft cover 120 disposed over at least a portion of the drive shaft 108 to protect the drive shaft 108.

In some embodiments, the drum roller 105 has a substantially cylindrical shape arranged at a constant distance of the cylindrical outer surface of the plurality of bristles 106. The drum roller 105 may be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic rubber, resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber, or plastic. In one embodiment, the drum roller 105 includes a thermoplastic elastomer material that has a hardness between 20 and 35 shore durometer. Moreover, the drum roller 105 may have an elasticity modulus between 10 and 30 MPA.

As shown, a plurality of bristles 106 are disposed on the surface of the drum roller 105. The plurality of bristles 106 are directed radially outward from the drum roller 105. Each of the plurality of bristles 106 may have a length greater than about 5 mm and less than about 10 mm. in some embodiments, the plurality of bristles 106 may be modular such that a predetermined number of bristles may be disposed (and/or evenly distributed) on a surface and/or plane that may secure to the drum roller 105.

As shown, the one or more scraper portions 150 are disposed on the surface of the drum roller 105. The one or more scraper portions 150 are directed radially outward from the drum roller 105 and/or may be sloped, curved, semicircular in shape, concave, and/or have a curvature.

In some embodiments, drum roller 105 may include dental and/or periodontal cleaning elements such as, but not limited to, plastic materials, elastomeric flaps, strips, ridges, fingers, or lamellae.

Turning now to FIGS. 3A-3E, the bottom assembly 102 includes a motor, 109, handle 110, and on/off switch 111. In the embodiment shown, the motor 109 is within the interior of the bottom assembly 102 whereas the handle 110 is disposed on the surface of the assembly 102. In addition, finger grips 120 may also be disposed on the surface of the bottom assembly 102 to enhance secure gripping of the tongue brush device 100 by a user. However, it should be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The motor 109 can produce rotary motion, oscillatory rotary motion, reciprocal motion, vibratory motion, combinations thereof, and/or other types of motion. Notably, the motor 109 transmits power to the drive shaft 108 through a series of gears, axles, shafts, and/or rotatable cylinders 112 to cause the drum roller 105 to rotate when in use. Motor 109 is electrically coupled to an electric power supply 130, illustrated at least in FIG. 4 , which may be located at the bottom assembly 102 (e.g., therein). In some embodiments, the electric power supply 130 includes batteries (e.g., re-chargeable or non-rechargeable batteries). For example, the tongue brush device 100 may be powered by a pair of serially-connected AA or AAA batteries. In some embodiments, a charging station (not shown) may be used to provide electrical charge to the electric power supply 130.

In some embodiments, drive shaft 108 is a friction drive shaft unit. Accordingly, drive shaft 108 may be configured to rely on friction to transmit power (e.g., to the gearing system). Drive shaft 108 may be configured to effect clockwise and/or anti-clockwise rotation to mitigate injuries from use of the tongue brush device 100.

As illustrated at least in FIGS. 1A-1C and 2A-2C, the top head assembly 101 may comprise a tongue guard 160. The tongue guard 160 may be oriented and/or disposed below and/or directly below the drum roller 105. The tongue guard 160 may be used to help catch, divert, and/or prevent the tongue from being driven and/or caught into a cavity between the guard piece 115 and/or the drum roller 105 while the tongue brush device 100 is in use. The tongue guard 160 may be made from a soft, pliable, and/or semi rigid material. In other embodiments, the tongue guard 160 may be made from a material softer and/or more pliable than the guard piece 115 as to be less forceful of an impact on the tongue being received, caught, and/or diverted. In some embodiments, the tongue guard 160 may have cushion-like properties.

It should be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that the replaceable top head assembly 101 is not limited to the components or configuration shown in FIGS. 1A-2C. For example, replaceable top head assembly 101 may have a different gear system configuration to drive movement of the drum roller 105.

The replaceable brush head assembly 101 and/or portions thereof may be made by injection molding. In some embodiments, the first step of an injection molding process is to obtain or create a suitable mold. The mold can be formed of machined metal such as aluminum or steel to have an interior cavity reflecting the shape of the tongue cleaner to be produced. The mold may then be used in an injection molding machine which forces molten raw material, such as plastic, into the mold cavity to form the replaceable top head assembly 101. The injection molding process may be a single step or a series of steps, depending on the number of materials used. Example raw materials for manufacturing the replaceable brush head assembly 101 and/or portions thereof include, but are not limited to, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic rubber, resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber, plastic and other materials.

In one embodiment, an injection molding process is carried out by an injection molding machine. Raw materials, generally in the form of small pellets, are placed into a barrel. A barrel may be heated by electric heater bands which melts the raw material that is located within the barrel permitting it to be plasticized. Molten raw material can be delivered into a sprue bushing and into a mold where it can assume the shape of the interior cavity of the mold. A movable platen can detach from a stationary platen to separate the mold halves and eject the molded replaceable top head assembly 101 and/or portions thereof.

FIG. 2A illustrates the brush head assembly 101 in accordance with an embodiment consistent with the present disclosure. Notably, the brush head assembly 101 includes a gear 135 within the brush head assembly 101. In the embodiment shown, the motor 109 drives gear 113 which drives the drive shaft 108 further driving the plurality of gears, axles, shafts, and/or rotatable cylinders 112, which further drive the gear 135. Further, drive shaft 108 driving gear 135 drives the motion of drum roller 105. As shown in FIG. 2A, gear 135 may be enveloped in, protruding from, and/or in contact with, drum roller 105. Accordingly, as gear 135 moves (e.g., rotates), the gear causes a corresponding movement (e.g., rotation) of the drum roller 105.

While aspects of the present invention can be described and claimed in a particular statutory class, such as the system statutory class, this is for convenience only and one of skill in the art will understand that each aspect of the present invention can be described and claimed in any statutory class. Unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method or aspect set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not specifically state in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is no way appreciably intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including matters of logic with respect to arrangement of steps or operational flow, plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation, or the number or type of aspects described in the specification.

Throughout this application, various publications are referenced. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this pertains. The references disclosed are also individually and specifically incorporated by reference herein for the material contained in them that is discussed in the sentence in which the reference is relied upon. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such publication by virtue of prior invention. Further, the dates of publication provided herein can be different from the actual publication dates, which can require independent confirmation.

The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and can include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

ASPECTS

The following disclose various Aspects of the present disclosure. The various Aspects are not to be construed as patent claims unless the language of the Aspect appears as a patent claim. The Aspects describe various non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure.

Aspect 1. Another tongue brush device in accordance with an embodiment consistent with the present disclosure may be provided. Notably, the gearing system employed in the tongue brush device has a gear within the brush head assembly that is coupled to a drive shaft and drum roller. A gear may provide a different manner for the drum roller to rotate when engaged by the drive shaft. For instance, gear may move about an axis that is orthogonal to the movement axis of drum roller.

Aspect 2. Another tongue brush device having a power charging unit in accordance with one embodiment consistent with the present disclosure may be provided. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a means of providing power to the tongue brush device by the coupling of the tongue brush device to the power charging unit. The power charging unit may have one or more charging contacts to facilitate connection of a power supply (e.g., via an electrical outlet) to the power charging unit. Moreover, the tongue brush device may incorporate a means to disconnect one or more of the charging contacts from the power charging unit when removed therefrom.

Aspect 3. A tongue brush device, wherein the predetermined surface profile comprises a plurality of protrusions, bristles, tips, or like elements disposed on the application area.

Aspect 4. The tongue brush device any preceding aspect, wherein the predetermined surface profile comprises a plurality of protrusions, bristles, tips, or like elements disposed on the application area.

Aspect 5. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the application area of the drum roller comprises a specific configuration, arrangement, pattern, and/or predetermined surface profile.

Aspect 6. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the application area may comprise contacting portions that can have a spacing to ensure equal pressure distribution between said contacting portion when applied to a subject's tongue.

Aspect 7. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein each of the raised portions and/or contacting surfaces may have a uniform shape and/or size. In other aspects, each of the raised portions may have a varying shape and/or sizes.

Aspect 8. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the raised portions may have a semi-circular or concave shape.

Aspect 9. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the application area may be of any surface profile or tongue-cleaning means that achieves the function of cleaning the tongue tissue of the subject.

Aspect 10. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein application area of the drum roller and/or brush head attachments can be configured or shaped for use in scraping the tongue.

Aspect 11. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the application area may be of any surface profile or tongue-scraping means that achieves the function of scraping the tongue tissue of the subject.

Aspect 12. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the drum roller is configured to rotate about an axle or spindle.

Aspect 13. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the brush head assembly further comprises a roller guard.

Aspect 14. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the drive source comprises a plurality of gears in various configurations and arrangements.

Aspect 15. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the drive source comprises a lower gear/upper gear engagement and upper gear/drum roller engagement or first gear/second gear engagement and second gear/drum roller engagement.

Aspect 16. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the drive source comprises a lower gear/middle gear engagement, middle gear/upper gear engagement and upper gear/drum roller engagement or first gear/second gear engagement, second gear/third gear engagement, and third gear/drum roller engagement.

Aspect 17. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the head assembly further comprises at least one gear coupled to a drive shaft and axle configured to rotate the drum roller.

Aspect 18. The tongue brush device of any preceding aspect, wherein the drum roller comprises two distinct portions and wherein the drive shaft is coupled to the axle between the two drum roller portions.

Aspect 19. The tongue brush of any preceding aspect, further comprising a shaft cover disposed over the drive shaft.

Aspect 20. The tongue brush of any preceding aspect, further comprising a shaft cover disposed over a gap separating the two drum roller portions.

Aspect 21. The tongue brush of any preceding aspect, wherein the base assembly comprises a motor.

Aspect 22. The tongue brush of any preceding aspect, wherein the base assembly comprises a central gear member having first and second opposed end, a first gear connected to one end and a motor or other drive mechanism connected to the other end.

Aspect 23. The tongue brush of any preceding aspect, wherein the head assembly may be configured to be detachably connected with the first gear by a second gear coupled with axle using a drive shaft to allow the drive source to move the drum roller.

Aspect 24. The tongue brush of any preceding aspect, wherein the head assembly may be configured to be detachably connected with the first gear by a second gear coupled with a 3^(rd) gear using a drive shaft, the 3^(rd) gear configured to move the drum roller using an axle-connect gear.

Aspect 25. The tongue brush of any preceding aspect, wherein the drive source may be configured to move or rotate the drum roller in a predefined manner while the application area of the drum roller is in contact with the tongue to thereby clean the tissue.

Aspect 26. The replaceable top head assembly of any preceding aspect, wherein the drive shaft is disposed around the surface of the drum roller.

Aspect 7. The device or replaceable brush head attachment of any preceding aspect, wherein the drum roller comprises at least one of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, thermoplastic rubber, resin, silicon rubber, natural rubber and plastic.

Aspect 28. The device or replaceable brush head attachment of any preceding aspect, wherein the plurality of bristles are directed radially outward from the drum roller.

Aspect 29. The device or replaceable brush head attachment of any preceding aspect, wherein the drum roller comprises a thermoplastic elastomer material that has a hardness between 20 and 35 shore durometer.

Aspect 30. The device or replaceable brush head attachment of any preceding aspect, wherein the drum roller has an elasticity module between 10 and 30 MPA.

Aspect 31. The device or replaceable brush head attachment of any preceding aspect, wherein the brush head assembly has a height that is substantially less than its width such that the configuration of the brush head assembly minimizes the elicitation of the of a gag reflex when used to clean the tongue.

Aspect 32. The device or replaceable brush head attachment of any preceding aspect, wherein the upper housing, gear system, brush head assembly, and drive shaft are formed as a single unitary component formed from a single material by an injection molding process.

Aspect 33. The device or replaceable brush head attachment of any preceding aspect, wherein the drive system is configured to temporarily disengage at least one gear to gear engagement upon detecting or sensing force above a predetermined threshold effective to stop or limit rotation of the drum roller.

While the specification includes examples, the disclosure's scope is indicated by the following claims. Furthermore, while the specification has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, the claims are not limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example for embodiments of the disclosure. 

The following is claimed:
 1. A tongue brush device comprising: a replaceable head assembly comprising: a brush head assembly at a proximal end of and substantially transverse to an upper housing, the brush head assembly comprising a drum roller with an application area having a predetermined surface profile effective to clean a tongue surface, the drum roller configured to be rotated about an axis using a drive source, and the upper housing comprising: a guard piece housing the brush head assembly, and a tongue guard oriented below the brush head assembly effective to prevent the drum roller from driving a tongue of a user between the guard piece housing and the brush head assembly when in use; and a base assembly configured to detachably couple with a distal end of the replaceable head assembly, the base assembly comprising a lower housing containing at least a portion of the drive source.
 2. The tongue brush device of claim 1, wherein the tongue guard is made from a softer material than the guard piece.
 3. The tongue brush device of claim 2, wherein the guard piece is made of a rigid material.
 4. The tongue brush device of claim 1, the predetermined surface profile comprises: a plurality of bristles, and two or more rigid scraper portions.
 5. The tongue brush device of claim 4, wherein the two or more rigid scraper portions are more rigid than the plurality of bristles.
 6. The tongue brush device of claim 5, wherein the two or more rigid scraper portions are concave in shape.
 7. The tongue brush device of claim 1, wherein the brush head assembly is gear driven.
 8. The tongue brush device of claim 1, wherein the drive source comprises one or more gears disposed within the brush head assembly, the one or more gears coupled to a drive shaft and axle configured to rotate the drum roller.
 9. The tongue brush device of claim 1, wherein the drive source comprises a motor disposed in the base assembly.
 10. A replaceable brush head attachment for a tongue brush, comprising: an upper housing comprising: a gear system, a guard piece housing a brush head assembly, the brush head assembly being substantially transverse to the upper housing, and a tongue guard oriented below the brush head assembly effective to prevent a tongue of a user from entering a space between the guard piece housing and the brush head assembly; and a drive shaft coupled to the gear system and the brush head assembly, wherein the drive shaft is operable to effect movement of the brush head assembly.
 11. The replaceable brush head attachment of claim 10, wherein the brush head assembly comprises a drum roller with a plurality of bristles thereon, the drum roller being rotatable about a spindle.
 12. The replaceable brush head attachment of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of bristles has a length greater than about 5 mm and less than about 10 mm.
 13. The replaceable brush head attachment of claim 12, wherein the drum roller has a substantially cylindrical shape arranged at a constant distance of a cylindrical outer surface of the plurality of bristles.
 14. The replaceable brush head attachment of claim 10, wherein the tongue guard is made from a softer material than the guard piece.
 15. The replaceable brush head attachment of claim 10, wherein the gear system, the brush head assembly, and the drive shaft are formed as a single unitary component formed from a single material by an injection molding process.
 16. An electric, motorized tongue brush device, comprising: a replaceable top head assembly, comprising: an upper housing comprising: a gear system, a brush head assembly extending substantially transverse to the upper housing assembly, the brush head assembly comprising a drum roller and a first gear disposed at a proximal end of the brush head assembly, a guard piece at least partially surrounding the brush head assembly; and a tongue guard oriented below the brush head assembly effective to prevent disposing a tongue of a user between the guard piece housing and the brush head assembly; a friction drive shaft contained within the upper housing and coupled to the brush head assembly, wherein the gear system comprises a second gear and a third gear configured to couple the friction drive shaft to the first gear of the brush head assembly, wherein the friction drive shaft is operable to transmit motion to the brush head assembly; and a bottom assembly, comprising: a motor coupled to the friction drive shaft; and a handle on a surface of the bottom assembly.
 17. The electric, motorized tongue brush device of claim 16, wherein the motor is operable to drive the friction drive shaft which can drive the third gear which can drive the second gear, and wherein the second gear can drive the first gear so that the first gear can drive a motion of the drum roller.
 18. The electric, motorized tongue brush device of claim 16, further comprising finger grips disposed on the handle of the bottom assembly.
 19. The electric, motorized tongue brush device of claim 16, further comprising a slip-differential mechanism configured to prevent tongue tissue damage when force above a predetermined threshold is applied.
 20. The electric, motorized tongue brush device of claim 19, wherein the slip-differential mechanism is configured to limit or eliminate power to the drum roller upon detecting or sensing force above a predetermined threshold. 